Developer's vow to change face of Trowbridge (From Wiltshire Times)

Shouldn't we be told exactly what keeps Wiltshire councillors so busy that six months has to go by before they can consider an application so vital to the County Town's future?

Best way to change the face of Trowbridge is to dynamite it.

Obviously, he's a new lad in town... out to make an impression.

I hope they've done their arithmetic.

They've certainly not done their demographic research... The closest Trowbridge can manage to "alfresco restaurant dining" is the town bridge drinking benches....

It's the negative attitude of people like wurzel and old Harry that probably make the council and developers have 2nd thoughts about improving Trowbridge. I hope the plans go ahead, I hope it's a success, I hope the people of Trowbridge embrace and appreciate and support the new facilities when they're complete. I moved away from Trowbridge to escape the negativity, the dead space, the boredom. I'd seriously consider moving back if the town gets the facelift it so badly needs. I have family and friends in town - they are the only reason I visit Trowbridge - so come on Wiltshire Council - sort it out - make me want to move back.

EXTROWVEGAS wrote:
It's the negative attitude of people like wurzel and old Harry that probably make the council and developers have 2nd thoughts about improving Trowbridge. I hope the plans go ahead, I hope it's a success, I hope the people of Trowbridge embrace and appreciate and support the new facilities when they're complete. I moved away from Trowbridge to escape the negativity, the dead space, the boredom. I'd seriously consider moving back if the town gets the facelift it so badly needs. I have family and friends in town - they are the only reason I visit Trowbridge - so come on Wiltshire Council - sort it out - make me want to move back.

The council and developers don't take a blind bit of notice of the likes of me.

That's essentially the problem - I would say that eh?

Sad to say the lack of imagination, the corruption, the ignorant self seeking and towering incompetence of our elected representatives and their tail wag-dog officials results in the pile of hubris that passes for the County Town.

I am entirely serious about the arithmetic - another supermarket? - when anybody with a pair of eyes can see that the tipping point for "retail footfalls" has been reached.

Trowbridge needs jobs, it needs a proper leisure complex, it needs small businesses - none of which I see being addressed. Where are the inhabitants of all the new "affordable homes" going to work?

Back in the day when communities actually had a sense of community rather than the ghastly PR led bilge that pours forth from the Council - things would get done by public subscription not coercion - people know what is needed and will respond.

The dull, unimaginative prescriptive box ticking being "handed down" just turns people off - period. This isn't set to improve in the foreseeable future.

I predict more charity shops and housing - and if Morrisons goes ahead one other supermarket will close. I'd give a cinema 2 years.

That's more like it Wurzel, an explanation of your reasons for your doubts about the project, rather than just writing Trowbridge off. I agree with your view regarding another supermarket - Trowbridge does not need that. But a cinema, some nice eating places, a pleasant waterfront and retail space for small independent business would be great.
And I agree councils do not tend to listen to the residents - which makes me wonder why people in Trowbridge continue to vote Conservative - they sold the Brown Street swimming pool and BMX track to tescos - 2 fantastic leisure facilities which were never replaced (the Clarendon pool and the very poorly constructed BMX track on Wingfield Road are very poor substitutes for what was taken away)
You could argue that all councils are the same, regardless of political party, but the track record of the Cons in Trowbridge is pretty poor - time for a change next time? (and i don't mean labour or Libs either - there are alternatives.
Maybe the residents of Trowbridge to write to the developers with ideas of what they want on the site? It may get ignored, but if you don't ask, you don't get....

1100 unemployed in trowbridge, i'm sure some jobs could be given to the existing trowbridge dwellers. I'm sure the plans are great and lets just get on and build it. If not, we'll soon become melksham.

jigsaw 5 wrote:
1100 unemployed in trowbridge, i'm sure some jobs could be given to the existing trowbridge dwellers. I'm sure the plans are great and lets just get on and build it. If not, we'll soon become melksham.

I have to agree with you jigsaw. Even though I live in Beanacre, centre of the known world, I think Melksham is so sad. I knew it when it had a cinema, lots of factories, and a thriving centre. Now? Charity shops, fast-food (although most should be called fat food) and Melksham Forest chavs.

With respect to the previous letters and observations, I am afraid that without doubt the best site for the cinema is the Bowyers site and if Angus Horner says that he is going to develop and build it with a Morrisons regardless of whether the St Stephens site gets the go ahead or not, he should be encouraged to do so. What people must realise is that unlike city centres when a developer builds in a Market town more often than not , to get a cinema operator to come in you have to go in with a supermarket chain so that a reasonable return on the investment is achieved. The profit lines of supermarkets are far higher than cinema chains which get their revenues from popcorn and cola plus on screen advertising. Nearly 90% of the box office goes to film distributors when a successful new film is released. The cinema operator be it a chain or family run will know that.Having spoken to Angus Horner he is very much aware of the financials of the operation and by bringing Cineworld in , it is a major coup because it will mean reasonable ticket prices. I find it very hard to believe how Legal and General are going to exact the same from Odeon especially because of the lack of car parking. I can only assume that the rent and lease costs to them will be collosal resulting in high ticket prices.They surely cannot be expecting high lease revenues from an 80 bedroomed hotel and and 5 or more restaurants. It just doesn't add up.
I am afraid that gone are the days of a 1300 seater Odeon/Abc/Regal or Classic cinema with their Art Deco styling. I miss those days too but in the 21st century we have to think viability. Trowbridge being the county town justifies having the cinema placed to cover the other 4 towns in West Wiltshire and is where it's catchment will come from along with Frome/Devizes and outlying villages within a 15 mile/20 minute drive time.
I welcome Morrisons to Trowbridge. I haven't heard many housewives objecting on here or on the planning applications against it. They certainly won't complain if prices are cheaper and if it means 300 jobs plus a petrol station with competitive pricing I am all for it.
So before you all start thinking about cinema what you must think about is that a chain will invest £3-4 million to fit it out. If
Cineworld have made an arrangement with Angus Horner to build a fabulous 8 screen cinema with comfortable stadium seating,wall to wall screens and all with visuals and digital sound it will be magnificent for our town.
People do have short memories,some of the political makeup of the councils in West Wiltshire and the county have sometimes been that of no overall control with a mixture of conservatives and liberals. Blame cannot solely be laid against them but major cinema operators have only just started to look at Market towns because of saturating cities with 10 plexes and upwards. Also the financials of developers have been highly dubious over the last few years too. But now we have A VIABLE fully funded proposal on the table offered to the people of Trowbridge and West Wiltshire by
Angus Horner. I suggest we put aside short sightedness, cowardly doom mongering, ignorant and naive individuals who never want anything to happen in our town, and selfish business men who think any new addition to Trowbridge will affect their profits when experience shows that the anchor of a cinema will increase footfall.
To councillors and planners . I know you haven't passed a cinema in this area since 1972 with the Europa on top of the multi-storey. But the Bowyers scheme is the best I have seen in 30 years. We will have a better cinema than Bath and with screens as big as those at Longwell Green. I urge the swiftest possible outcome and a big thumbs up to it . Although I am somewhat blue politically I noticed that the Liberals have been holding a poll on their local website asking the public what site they would prefer to see built. The latest poll was 89% for Bowyers and 11% for St Stephens place. This confirms what I have heard in pubs , clubs and on the street. Councillors and planners - the voting is in- give us the Bowyers development NOW. The big society here locally have spoken .

At Last!! Petition now live! Say Yes to Innox Riverside Development, please register and sign:

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